Sanjit Sethi, the inaugural director of the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design spoke on Wednesday about his past experiences and laid out plans for the future of the school in an address to faculty, alumni, and students at Corcoran’s Jack Hammer Auditorium.

Sethi talked about his graduate work at MIT, in which he installed devices like air pumps and sand dispensers to his feet and recorded how they changed his interaction with the cityscape around him. He also spoke about his time as a Fulbright scholar in India working with transient construction workers and his more recent work with contested space and the architecture of inversion.

As director of the Corcoran, Sethi promises to “be doing a lot of listening, doing a lot of learning, and doing a lot of talking to people.” He said this will help the school produce the next generation of cultural leaders. In addition, he asserted his commitment to strengthening and reevaluating existing partnerships that the school enjoys as well as expanding international outreach and creating new partnerships around the city, country, and world.

Sethi made clear that his focus on enhancing academics would be based on improved pedagogy, research, and practical design while focusing on what he referred to as the “DNA of the Corcoran.” He said that this will carry on the legacy of the school and create a long-lasting vibe of artistic excellence.